


seized moments

by evenifwecantfindheaven



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-10 15:32:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18663235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evenifwecantfindheaven/pseuds/evenifwecantfindheaven
Summary: What Ernesto de la Cruz lacks in empathy, he makes up for in charisma. He has never had a problem with being deceitful. Convincing the wife of the man he killed that her husband is still alive may be his greatest con yet. Especially when he, too finds himself in the land of the dead, counting down the years until she is to join them. Not so much AU as my headcanons/theories about what happened. Characterizations are as close to canon as I can get.





	1. the written word

_December 11th, 1921_

 

_Mi amor Imelda,_

_Fantastic news! Ernesto and I filled a whole theater tonight, as we have every night since we arrived in Saltillo. But more importantly, we were asked to play at the mayor's son's wedding! So we will be here for at least another week. And if I forgot to tell you, we also have a few shows lined up in Monterrey and will be opening for a full mariachi band. I hope this letter finds you and Coco as lovely and strong as ever. As always, I have enclosed as many pesos as I could spare._

_Forever,_

_Héctor_

 

Ernesto was particularly careful as he printed his best friend's signature. He had foraged it before, but never for someone who actually knew Héctor well. Héctor had a very particular style of handwriting, a unique way of gripping the pen in his nimble fingers. But if anyone was good enough at mimicking someone else's moves to copy the long-stroked h's and swooping y's perfectly, it was Ernesto.

He had a backup plan, of course. For if he was tracked down and accused of writing the letters.  _I'm so sorry, Imelda, I only wanted to spare your feelings. Last I heard, he was headed for Durango. We went our separate ways. I wanted to stay on the road, and working towards our dream, but Héctor, he had his heart set on spending Christmas with...what was her name? Maria? Rosalinda? Guadalupe? He just wanted to spend Christmas with her._

 

_December 15th, 1921_

 

_Mi bonita amor,_

_The wedding was tonight. Ernesto is pretending to be asleep in his cot so that he can sneak out later and look for the pretty senorita in the blue dress. But I couldn't possibly go to bed without telling you about it. It was so beautiful, Imelda. Just like our wedding. Only with red and white flowers instead of purple and blue, all up and down the aisle and in her hair. We played all the traditional songs, of course, but at the end, the groom specifically requested la llorona. I told him about you and how much you love it. I still think of you every day. Is Coco excited for Christmas? I'm still not sure if I'm going to be there, but if I'm not, then use a few of these pesos to buy her something from Papa Noel._

 

Ernesto frowned. He had messed up. Héctor wouldn't just tell Imelda what to do with the money, even though he was the one earning it.

_...for me, if you don't mind. I was planning on getting her a music box, the pink wind-up one with the dancer that we saw at the market. If they still make it. It reminds me of her._

That would do.

_Love always,_

_Héctor_

 

_December 20th, 1921_

_Mi amor,_

_The good news is that Ernesto and I were invited to play at a Christmas concert in Monterrey. It's supposed to pay extremely well, lots of publicity. This, of course, means that I won't be coming home to Santa Cecilia for Christmas. But I'll make it up to you. Lo promento._

_I had some free time in the plaza today while Ernesto was getting a shoe shine, so I sang un Poco Loco. I got a few tips. I have enclosed them with this letter, because of course, you're the real reason why I earned them, so you deserve them._

_Love,_

_Héctor_

Ernesto hoped he didn't sound too dismissive, or not dismissive enough, for the character he had in mind. A man who had loved once, had made mistakes once, a good man, willing to fulfill his societal obligations, but secretly happy to be out on the road, away from his nagging shrew and screaming brat.

 

_December 26th, 1921_

 

_Mi amor Imelda,_

_We're about to get on a train to Nuevo León, where we'll be playing in a big concert hall for the first time. We were approached by a talent scout at the end of the Christmas concert. We'll be playing there with a real band, every night for five days, but Ernesto and I will have our own solo act, too. I'll be playing Remember Me in public for the first time. I've written three new songs for the occasion as well. I'll send them to you when I have the time. I'm so nervous, mi amor, but so thrilled. Finally, I am close to reaching my dream of playing for the world. I'm sending you all the money I can for now, I know it's not much. Hopefully will be able to spare some more after I arrive in Nuevo León. We're staying in a nicer hotel this time and I'm not sure how much more money it will cost._

_Feliz Navidad,_

_Héctor_

That one was deliberately sloppily written, as if the paper had been placed on an uneven surface and the letter hastily printed. Ernesto had torn off a page of the brochure for the Christmas concert that he had, in fact, played in, and enclosed it. He had even given them Héctor's name to print alongside his own for good measure, and the peon in charge of the brochure printing had done it without question.

But what broke the heart of the young woman who opened the letter hundreds of miles away on New Year's Eve wasn't the afterthought note, nor was it the proof that her husband had performed in a concert on Christmas instead of being with her or even writing her to with her.

He had once promised her that he would never perform Un Poco Loco without her there. After much pushing and pleading on Ernesto's part, he had agreed to play it on tour, but never without dedicating it to her. When he wrote Remember Me, he had quietly asked Coco to promise never to sing the song in front of Tio 'Nesto, because he didn't want to perform it. Ever. It was their special song, just for them.

And now, Héctor was performing it in public, voluntarily. Even though he had a whole battery of songs to sing and was apparently writing more.

He was selling his love for Coco.

They were losing him.


	2. Chapter 2

 

_January 5th 1922_

_"Mi amor Imelda,_

_We have been asked to stay in Nuevo León for a few weeks. So far we have given three concerts and a few impromptu performances at the grand hotel we're staying in. At long last I am sharing my music with the world and, mi amor, it is everything I have ever hoped it would be. Buy a little something for yourself and mija with these extra pesos!_

_Give my love to Coco,_

_Héctor"_

Ernesto put in as many pesos as he had been with each letter, plus one. It worked to his advantage that Héctor has always been careless when it came to little things. Now, Héctor could be careless about big things, too.

 

_January 10th, 1922_

_"Remember me_   
_Though I have to say goodbye_   
_Remember me..."_

 

Ernesto de la Cruz spins across the stage, surrounded on all sides by an enraptured crowd. The stage decorated surrounded by lanterns and streamers, just for him. All those awe-struck smiles, for him. The songwriter, the actor, the singer. The brilliant. The omnipotent. God of music. 

 _"For even if I'm far away  
_ _I hold you in my heart."  
_ _I sing a secret song to you  
_ _Each night we are apart..."_

Futile tears fall down Héctor's ivory cheeks, as he tries to imagine his daughter's hurt and confusion. If she truly understands what it means when people tell her that her Papa is living in the land of the dead now. If she understood what was happening at the funeral. If she's even able to grasp the meaning of the word "forever."

 _"Remember me_  
Though I have to travel far  
Remember me  
Each time you hear a sad guitar..."

Imelda's chest feels with rage at the sound of her daughter's tiny voice through the bedroom door. Coco is waiting for him. Coco will wait for him forever. Coco truly believes that he _had_ to say goodbye, that he _had_ to travel far. It's too much. It pulls Imelda to the ground, brings hot tears to her eyelashes that she tries to hold back. What if Coco sees her? She has to be strong for Coco.

 _"Know that I'm with you_  
_The only way that I can be_  
_Until you're in my arms again..."_

A smile lights up Coco's face as she looks out the window. Maybe tomorrow will be the day he comes running up the walk, scoops her up in his arms again and spins her around, smothers her and Mama with hugs and kisses until she falls asleep in their arms. He's been gone so many days...it can't be long now!

_"Remember me"_

Ernesto is rewarded for his efforts with a storm of applause. He did all of this. They love him! They want him!

 

_January 17th, 1922_

20 pesos arrive on Imelda's doorstep in a leather sack. No note, no return address, just the money. Coco asks for Papa's letter. Imelda says there's no letter. Coco asks when Papa is coming home. Imelda says she doesn't know.

 

_January 25th, 1922_

16 pesos. The bag is held together with ribbons and string. It's a wonder they made it home at all.

The soles of Coco's shoes have worn through. Imelda buys the materials and repairs them herself. She begins offering to repair other people's shoes for money. They pay her less than she is worth, which means she works twice as hard. When Oscar and Filipe are in school, Imelda brings Coco to people's houses with her. Coco starts playing with a little boy and girl with plump cheeks and dimples that could melt snow.

 

_February 3rd, 1922_

12 pesos. The package is made of sandpaper. Imelda goes out on a limb and spends most of that money on leather so she can craft a pair of shoes from scratch. She takes apart and re-does her own in the process, but the result is beautiful. She sells the shoes for 24 pesos. She buys food and leather and nails.

Coco asks if Papa is coming home. Imelda says she doesn't know.

 

_February 10th, 1922_

Ernesto de la Cruz signs his first contract and begins recording his first single. He is confident that if all goes according to plan, the world will remember him forever.

He's not going to write to Imelda anymore. She knows what town he's in. For now. He has his speech rehearsed in case she comes after him. _I haven't seen Héctor in a few days. Last I heard he was going back to visit that woman he met in Monterrey...the one with the thick hair who played the trumpet...what was her name...Penelope? Magda? Carlita? He did give his written permission for me to play this song, though._ Ernesto isn't sure why Héctor kept this song to himself for so long. It was selfish of him to hold back the gem that won over the world.


End file.
